Darkness Before Dawn
by dashinginconverse
Summary: She had always been the type to fall too quickly, to love too much. Now, when everything she once knew is ripped away from her, Nikki Bella is unsure what her future holds. At least, until a certain member of the Shield turns everything on its head. AmbroseNikki, plus others


_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything._

_**Summary: She had always been the type to fall too quickly, to love too much. Now, when everything she once knew is ripped away from her, Nikki Bella is unsure what her future holds. At least, until a certain member of the Shield turns everything on its head. AmbroseNikki, plus others**_

_Alrighty. So this is a completely new thing for me. I'm not sure where this is going or anything, but somehow this idea - and pair - just stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out. So, here this is. A new chapter fic, when I probably shouldn't be writing one. This first chapter isn't very long, just a kind of introductory chapter. I do hope that y'all enjoy this!_

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**Darkness Before Dawn**  
**Chapter One: Moving Out**

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With a great sigh, Nikki Bella rolled the tape dispenser over the last of the cardboard boxes containing her belongings.

She tried not to think about what she was doing. Tried to be mechanical in her actions. Tried to separate herself from this moment in time. She was just packing up, just getting ready to go somewhere else. Somewhere...

_Away from John... _her thoughts reminded her.

She wrinkled her nose and hefted the box in her arms, holding it tightly as she descended the stairs. This entire day had sucked. Hard. There was no denying it. She had let a few tears slip when she was alone, packing away like a woman possessed. John had been away doing something or another for _Make a Wish_, she figured, so she thought it best to pack everything up while he was gone.

"Like I'd never been here," she murmured to herself, stepping out the front door, left propped open by a random kitchen chair. The sun beamed down on her as soon as she left the shelter of the house. It felt nice, welcoming, whereas the house itself had been almost cold, as if it knew she was no longer an occupant.

The moving truck was a large one. She had spared no expense. She only wanted the best for her belongings. How much of a punch in the face would it be if she spent all that time moving out, only to have her belongings damaged in transit? The thought rankled her more than it should have.

Sighing, she slid the last box into the back of the truck and watched as the moving guys gave her a look before sliding the door of the truck down. It was almost as if they were shutting the door on her present circumstance.

She turned and looked at the large house, lavish and expensive and almost foreboding. Her heart constricted at the sight of it, and she tried not to think of the reasons she was leaving it right now. Lord knows she had thought about that enough.

But it would be weird, not waking up to John beside her - though, with him being on the road so much, it wouldn't be that much of a change. But not having him in her life was certainly something she could never get used to. Especially that they shared a work environment.

Nikki wondered if she'd ever get over him.

She watched as the movers climbed into the cab of the truck. All of her belongings were now packed away, to be moved into the small apartment she'd gotten for herself. With Brie and Daniel about to get married, she couldn't see herself moving in with Brie. She had a new life to start, and Nikki's was just...

She couldn't think of a word to finish that sentence without sounding depressing.

The moving truck waited until she had gotten into her car and began to drive off so they could follow. Really, Nikki might get lost on the way herself, so it was probably all for naught.

She tried to drive without thinking, turning up the radio to some mindless pop song. For the most part, it worked to distract her from her thoughts.

Nikki didn't get lost, so that was a plus. She turned into the gated apartment complex with the moving truck on her tail. In a matter of minutes she was at her building, looking up at the fancy red brick of the apartment. She sighed, pressing her hands to her eyes for a moment, taking just a bit of rest before having to move all the boxes up the stairs - really, it wouldn't be a big job, since she had the movers to help, but still, the thought of unpacking was almost as emotional as the packing.

Knowing that prolonging this wouldn't help at all, she got out of her car and faced the movers, who were currently bringing out the heavier things - her dresser and bookshelves and other pieces of larger furniture, along with some things she had gotten out of storage to accommodate her place.

"I'll go unlock the door for you," she told them, bringing out her keys and moving up the stairs. Three flights. Her apartment was situated on the third floor, building 303. Convenient, memory-wise.

The day went quickly after that, she supposed. She dictated where she wanted certain things, but told them to just put all of the boxes in the large living room and that she would sort through them later. They had looked at her strangely, but complied. She wondered if it was due to the way she was dressed - few people wore such a short dress and such high heels to move, she supposed - or if it was due to the lackluster tone to her voice. Even _she _could recognize the dullness of her voice, but she couldn't find it in her to correct it, though she had tried.

The movers did as she was told and she paid them, tipped them generously. They gave little nods in their departure, while Nikki called out thanks to them. The door closed gently behind them and she walked forward to turn the lock.

And Nikki found herself alone.

She knew that she had countless people she could call to talk to - her sister, Natalya, Naomi, Cameron... But she honestly didn't want to talk to any of her _Total Divas_ castmates. She didn't want to talk to anyone, period.

Slumping on the lavish couch that she had thankfully moved from storage the day before, she placed her head in her hands and sighed once more, a woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Before she could start to pity herself - _again _- she moved to the boxes and started to unpack, trying to force a steely resolve but coming up short.

But she'd keep trying to move on. She'd keep trying until she couldn't anymore, and then she'd try some more.

Because Nikki Bella was a lot of things - some negative, some positive, some inbetween - but she was _not_ a quitter.

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_**End Chapter One.**_


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